beat my muscles

Sparticus773Sparticus773 Registered User regular
edited February 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
I often workout, and I just heard of this today. My buddy was telling me about an article he read about how some people would punch the muscles they had just worked out, or hit (not too hard) with a hammer or hard object. The whole concept is that lifting effecticly rips muscle tissue, and you get stronger because your muscle rebuilds, only rebuilds better. Well, if you were to beat the muscle, it would rip it up even more, resulting in stronger muscles afterwards.

I went ahead and ran an expiriment. I have been working out to the point where I am not sore anymore (not a big feat, anyone who lifts regularly for a week or two will no longer be sore). I did chest workouts yesterday, and then used my first 3 fingers, braced with my thumb to pound on my left pectoral muscle. Today, my left pectoral is sore as if I have worked out for the first time yesterday, while my right pectoral muscle is acting normal, (sore when stretched).

Has anyone heard of beating muscles to gain muscle mass and strength? Is it dangerous? Is it counterproductive?

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  • EliminationElimination Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Wouldn't that just bruise the muscle?

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  • MoSiAcMoSiAc Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    This really seems like a bad idea, but I could be wrong. Professional "breakers" build up the ability to break stuff by slightly breaking their bones, thus making them stronger.

    I dont see how this works the same for muscle though.

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  • RUNN1NGMANRUNN1NGMAN Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Well, the way I understand it, muscles gets stronger as the muscles cells elongate. The cells elongate because they are torn longitudinally and then heal longer than they were before (imagine having a piece of clay and pulling it apart until it breaks, and then patching it back together where it tore apart with more clay). I don't see how hitting yourself is going to elongate any muscle cells.

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  • CangoFettCangoFett Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I did chest workouts yesterday, and then used my first 3 fingers, braced with my thumb to pound on my left pectoral muscle. Today, my left pectoral is sore

    You hit your muscle, and its sore...

    interesting

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  • KajustaKajusta Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Won't working out already do that?

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  • MoSiAcMoSiAc Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    You might wanna ask this same question in the fitness thread, but if I understand right are you just not feeling the effects from working out? If thats the deal it means its time to change your work out rotation and the types of exercises you do.

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  • psyck0psyck0 Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Whoever told you that is a dumbass. Don't do that. Soreness does not mean that you had a good workout or that any muscle will build. If anything, it means that a) you are a pussy who hasn't been to the gym in too long or b) you pushed yourself too hard. You're just hurting yourself. This will likely impede muscle growth, by wasting energy repairing the damage you did bruising yourself instead of building new muscle protein fibres.

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  • KakodaimonosKakodaimonos Code fondler Helping the 1% get richerRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Seriously?

    That's one of more stupid theories I've heard on muscle building. At best, it's going to make you sore. At the worst, it will interfere with your actual progress and possibly cause damage.

    Gaining mass and gaining strength is done through two different processes. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy.

    When you gain mass, you are typically adding more sarcoplasm, which is the fluid in between your contractile fibers: the myofirbils. This is typically accomplished by higher repetitions and lower weight.

    When you gain strength, you are doing two things. First, you are training your CNS to trigger all the myofibrils that are in a muscle group at the same time. This is "recruitment". This is a big part of strength training. The beginner gains everyone sees when they start lifting is from the recruitment effect and not muscle hypertrophy. The other part is you are creating microscopic tears in the myofibrils and as these get repaired, you gain more contractile muscle.

    Beating the muscles has no impact on gaining mass and/or strength. Your friend may have been confusing that with a deep tissue massage, which helps more with recovery by bringing more blood flow into the muscles. And a deep tissue massage is a lot more uncomfortable than getting hit.

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  • Cosmic SombreroCosmic Sombrero Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    That's not how weight training works. Essentially, the principle behind lifting is using gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through contraction. All you're doing here is hurting yourself.

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  • EskimoDaveEskimoDave Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    I saw a documentary on a female body builder. She would get a rough massage after every work out to rip her muscles. I don't recommend it.

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  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited February 2009
    This is absolutely the dumbest thing I have ever read.

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  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited February 2009
    So the answer is no, this will not help you do anything except possibly win the award for most gigantic idiot.

    Tube on
  • EliminationElimination Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    So the answer is no, this will not help you do anything except possibly win the award for most gigantic idiot.

    Yeah this was my thinking when i first read this thread.

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  • The Black HunterThe Black Hunter The key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple, unimpeachable reason to existRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Also you should always be sore after working out.

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  • psyck0psyck0 Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    Um.. what the fuck? No you shouldn't. Quit spreading stupid lies.

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  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited February 2009
    No, you shouldn't as anyone who has ever worked out for more than a month knows.

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  • Black IceBlack Ice Charlotte, NCRegistered User regular
    edited February 2009
    There are different types of pain and different types of soreness. Hitting yourself and feeling pain when moving the next day is a bad type of pain.

    It's an interesting proposition to destroy muscle tissue further to make it break down more, but you're really just running a risk for injury.

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  • Sparticus773Sparticus773 Registered User regular
    edited February 2009
    CangoFett wrote: »
    I did chest workouts yesterday, and then used my first 3 fingers, braced with my thumb to pound on my left pectoral muscle. Today, my left pectoral is sore

    You hit your muscle, and its sore...

    interesting

    i'd say this is the best answer I have gotten so far.

    Although I was suprised at how many people were opting to put me or the theory down instead of just answering my questions. Anyway...I'd say my question was answered one way or another. Thanks guys.

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  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    edited February 2009
    CangoFett wrote: »
    I did chest workouts yesterday, and then used my first 3 fingers, braced with my thumb to pound on my left pectoral muscle. Today, my left pectoral is sore

    You hit your muscle, and its sore...

    interesting

    i'd say this is the best answer I have gotten so far.

    Although I was suprised at how many people were opting to put me or the theory down instead of just answering my questions.

    Yes, because your theory was so unutterably fucking stupid that I can't believe that anyone could possibly have even considered it. I also can't believe you're legally allowed to use a knife and fork.

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